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Jack Grealish might have taken a subtle dig at Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola after a rare appearance in an FA Cup win at Bournemouth.

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• Grealish has fallen down the pecking order
• Was brought off the bench by Guardiola against Bournemouth
• Took to Instagram to share a message after the match

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Grealish may have subtly expressed his frustration with his lack of minutes at Manchester City after finally making an appearance in their 2-1 FA Cup quarter-final win over Bournemouth. The £100 million midfielder came off the bench in the second half, playing just 21 minutes – his first appearance since a brief outing against Tottenham on February 27.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Once a key figure, Grealish has now fallen down the pecking order, with just 605 minutes played in the Premier League this season. His lack of game time also resulted in him being left out of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The former Aston Villa captain had been a regular starter in City’s FA Cup campaign, playing every minute in their victories over Salford, Leyton Orient, and Plymouth. However, in what was arguably their most crucial FA Cup clash yet, Grealish was benched against Bournemouth, signalling his continued struggle for game time.

• WHAT GREALISH SAID

  Following his brief return to action, Grealish took to Instagram and posted: "Was nice to finally be back out there. Away support was incredible… Wembley next."

  @jackgrealish Instagram

Amid a season full of inconsistency, Newcastle United could be about to lose one of Eddie Howe’s star men who is reportedly ready to leave as soon as the January transfer window.

Newcastle transfer news

It’s been one step forward and two steps back for the Magpies throughout the current campaign, with Howe’s side feeling the full impact of Newcastle’s failure to recruit sufficient reinforcements in the summer transfer window. Sporting director Paul Mitchell spent the majority of the window chasing the signature of Marc Guehi, only for the defender to stay put at Crystal Palace.

Now, with the chance to make up for lost time, those at St James’ Park have already been linked with moves for the likes of Johan Bakayoko and Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, whose quality the Newcastle backline is all too familiar with.

That said, Howe was quick to shut down any rumours over January arrivals unless Newcastle raise funds through the sale of several fringe players. He told reporters as relayed by Newcastle World: “I keep saying the same thing about January, I wouldn’t expect us to be in a position to be too active in the market as we currently stand. Things can change, if we trade players that is of course different but if you don’t trade players I’ll expect us to be fine.”

With that said, the Magpies could yet be left with no choice but to turn towards the transfer market next month. According to The Times, as relayed by Caught Offside, Bruno Guimaraes is now ready to leave Newcastle as soon as January amid interest from Premier League champions Manchester City.

Euro giants trying to sign £120k-p/w Newcastle star PIF don't want to sell

The Magpies need to sell players if they want to sign new ones in January.

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By
Barney Lane

Dec 13, 2024

The Blues are in desperate need of reinforcements themselves, and have seemingly identified the Brazilian as a candidate to replace the injured Rodri in what would be a major blow for Newcastle.

Losing Bruno would end Newcastle's European hopes

In a season which is yet to really go to plan, Newcastle can ill-afford to lose arguably their best player in Guimaraes. If those in Tyneside are to bounce back into the Champions League after the fantastic success of the 2022/23 campaign, then keeping hold of such players and not losing them to Premier League rivals, of all sides, is more important than ever.

What should leave Newcastle worried, however, is the previous praise that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola had for the talented midfielder, telling reporters as relayed by the Daily Mail back in March: “He is an exceptional holding midfielder. He is aggressive, with the ball or without the ball. At set pieces, he’s aggressive and is a real, complete holding midfielder since being at Lyon and now at a club who want to grow up and up.”

Earning a reported £160,000-a-week, Guimaraes wouldn’t exactly disrupt City’s current wage bill in another worrying sign for Newcastle. At the very least, the Magpies must keep hold of their star man for the rest of the current campaign even if their hand is then forced in the summer transfer window.

Liverpool are continuing to push to complete the signing of an “unbelievable” £25m-rated attacking player and could have an advantage over Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool transfer news

The Reds are being linked with plenty of potential new signings, with Ademola Lookman mentioned as a possible addition in recent times. The former Everton winger is currently thriving at Atalanta, famously scoring a hat-trick in last season’s Europa League final win over Bayer Leverkusen.

Real Valladolid winger Raul Moro is also seen as a rumoured option for Liverpool, with Manchester City mentioned as suitors, too. The 22-year-old has scored three goals in La Liga this season and could be considered a long-term attacking wide addition, proving capable of thriving on either flank.

Andy Robertson’s hit-and-miss form so far this season has been well-documented, with his red card against Fulham in the Premier League last weekend a damaging moment for the Reds, and Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez continues to be mentioned as a long-term solution in that position.

Away from the incoming transfer news at Liverpool, the futures of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah continues to be a major talking point. The club are said to have offered the former a new contract, as they look to ensure that his head isn’t turned by a move to Real Madrid next summer.

Liverpool pushing to sign "unbelievable" £25m ace

According to a fresh claim from Foot Mercato [via Sport Witness], Liverpool are pushing to sign Lyon star Rayan Cherki in the January transfer window, looking to snap him up in a potential £25m deal.

The Reds are believed to be ahead of Paris Saint-Germain in the race to acquire the attacking midfielder’s signature, due to Lyon’s “frosty” relationship with their fellow Ligue 1 club.

Cherki has been seen as a target for Liverpool for some time and the idea of him in a Reds shirt is certainly exciting, given the talent and long-term potential that he possesses.

Granted, the 21-year-old is still a raw footballer who is learning his trade, but he has already bagged 22 goals and 32 assists for Lyon, despite his tender years, with journalist Dean Jones describing him as “unbelievable”.

To be able to sign Cherki for just £25m feels like a bargain, considering how high his ceiling is, so Liverpool could see it as an important piece of business to get done in January.

He plays like Saka: Liverpool want to sign "monster" £57m Nunez upgrade

Liverpool might need to strengthen their frontline in 2025.

By
Angus Sinclair

Dec 19, 2024

Granted, Arne Slot isn’t exactly short of attacking options at the moment, but he could add extra quality in attacking midfield, putting pressure on the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Harvey Elliott, having scored and assisted three times apiece in just seven Ligue 1 starts so far this season.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola might just be ruing the sale of one of his former players, who has since become Europe's most lethal striker.

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• Guardiola sold forward in 2022
• Has been thriving since move to Barcelona
• Has found the net once every 81 minutes

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Barcelona forward Ferran Torres scored another goal on Wednesday night to help his team book a Clasico clash in the Copa del Rey final after eliminating Atletico Madrid. Indeed, a striking stat has revealed that the Spaniard needs less minutes to find the back of the net than any other player across Europe's top leagues.

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  WHAT IS THE STAT?

  Per Opta, Torres has the lowest minutes-per-goal ratio of all the players in the top five European leagues who have scored at least 10 goals in all competitions this season. Indeed, the 25-year-old has scored 16 times in 35 games while spending just 1,292 minutes on the pitch, equating to a goal every 81 minutes. It's even more eye-catching when one considers the fact that Torres has started just 12 games all season for Barcelona.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The in-form striker has caught the attention of Premier League clubs like Arsenal and Aston Villa. While his future remains uncertain, it’s clear that Torres is currently thriving in Catalonia, despite having a rotation role. Indeed, Hansi Flick would have to make the bold call of dropping one of Robert Lewandowski, Lamine Yamal, or Raphinha in order to make room for the Spain international in the starting XI.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR FERRAN TORRES?

  The former Valencia and Man City man will be hoping to impress again when Barcelona host an in-form Real Betis side on Saturday, April 5. Flick's troops are currently leading La Liga with a three-point advantage over rivals Real Madrid, but will face a stern test from Manuel Pellegrini's men, who have won six consecutive games since losing 3-2 to Celta Vigo in February.

Ange Postecoglou’s tenure as Tottenham Hotspur manager has been challenging to say the least.

The Australian has undoubtedly brought back the entertainment factor, but he’s also failed to eliminate the inconsistent streak that has seen them lose at home to Ipswich Town and then beat Manchester City 4-0 away in their next game.

He has also had mixed luck in the transfer market, as players like Radu Dragusin and Timo Werner have arguably flopped, while Brennan Johnson and Dominic Solanke have been important goalscorers this season.

That said, while the club has a few wingers to choose from, they do not have a genuine rival for the Englishman, although, based on recent reports, that could be about to change.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, Spurs are one of several clubs, including Arsenal, who Randal Kolo Muani’s representatives have contacted over the last week over a potential move.

The French international has found himself out of favour at Paris Saint-Germain and has been told to look for a new club elsewhere, with a move to England reportedly his preference.

The report claims that the Parisians would prefer to sell the forward this month but would be willing to accept a loan move, which could be perfect for Spurs, especially if they can agree on a deal with an obligation to buy in the summer.

It could be a complicated deal to get over the line, but given Kolo Muani’s incredible ability and potential, signing him on a short-term loan to rival Solanke seems like a no-brainer, even if he is earning a whopping £202k-per-week.

Why Kolo Muani would be great competition for Solanke

Okay, so the first thing to say is that if you were to base your opinion solely on his form this season, you may not think Kolo Munai would be a good rival for Solanke.

After all, the Frenchman has just three goal involvements to his name in 14 appearances, to the Englishman’s 15 in 25.

However, as we mentioned above, the PSG ace has received limited minutes this year, and when he has played a considerable amount in campaigns prior, he has delivered.

For example, just last year, the “ice-cold” striker, as dubbed by German legend Lothar Matthaus, scored 12 goals and provided six assists in 44 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.44 games.

Moreover, the season before that, he did even better, scoring a mind-blowing 23 goals and providing 17 assists in 46 appearances, which equates to a staggering average of a goal involvement every 1.15.

Finally, while the 26-year-old’s raw output hasn’t been brilliant this season, his underlying numbers have been across the last 365 days.

According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and the Europa League, the attacking “superstar,” as dubbed by Matthaus, sits in the top 3% of forwards for successful take-ons, the top 7% for progressive passes received, the top 10% for non-penalty expected goals and the top 11% for assists, all per 90.

Ultimately, while it wouldn’t necessarily be advisable for Spurs to sign Kolo Muani on a permanent deal next month, he is more than good enough to come in on a short-term loan and provide Solanke with some much-needed competition.

Offer made: Spurs target dream Maddison rival in £25k-p/w "magician"

The exceptional youngster could have a bright future at Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Dec 30, 2024

Manchester United have struggled to find any consistency in the Premier League this season, languishing in 14th place with 22 points after 19 games played. The Red Devils have only scored 21 goals (the 5th fewest in the division this season), with the likes of Leicester, West Ham and Nottingham Forest all scoring more.

Ruben Amorim took charge of United in November, becoming the sixth person to take the role vacated by Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013. Their new Portuguese manager has a very different style compared to previous coaches such as Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Erik ten Hag, lining his side up in more of a 3-4-2-1 formation.

At his previous club, Amorim had Viktor Gyokeres, who was scoring for fun. Now he has the choice between Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, both of whom have their strengths, but with the Red Devils struggling to find the back of the net on a consistent basis, another forward acquisition cannot be ruled out.

Man Utd looking at new centre forward in January

According to reports from journalist Graeme Bailey, Manchester United are one of the clubs said to be interested in PSG forward, Randal Kolo Muani. Bailey stated in the reports that Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham and Chelsea had all held talks in the past week with Kolo Muani’s team.

Despite receiving interest from Italy and Turkey too, the Frenchman is said to prefer a move to England. However, having paid £64.2m for him back in 2023, the French giants will want to recoup a large fee for the 26-year-old, making the deal slightly more complicated.

Hailed as a player with “remarkable technical ability” by German legend Lothar Matthaus, Kolo Muani has made 14 appearances in all competitions for PSG so far this season, scoring two goals, providing one assist and totalling just 453 minutes played.

Joshua Zirkzee vs Kolo Muani comparison

Manchester United’s striking duo have scored just 11 goals between them in all competitions this season, Hojlund making 22 appearances, scoring seven goals and providing one assist in 1,294 minutes, and Zirkzee making 27 appearances in all competitions, scoring four goals, providing two assists in 1,062 minutes.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Zirkzee was signed for a fee of around £36.5m from Bologna last summer, but has found himself playing a variety of roles under the new coach, sometimes playing as one of the wide inside forwards behind the striker, and other times being tasked with being the focal point for Amorim’s side.

Sadly, that hasn’t exactly gone according to plan with the Dutchman hauled off after just 33 minutes against Newcastle in what was his worst moment at Old Trafford to date.

So, when comparing Zirkzee to Kolo Muani, you can see the difference in their play style, as the Dutch forward provides more progressive passes and more assists, looking to drop into pockets of space, link play and combine with his teammates.

On the other hand, Kolo Muani looks to be a more direct threat, running in behind, stretching opposition defensive lines, getting plenty of touches in and around the penalty area, getting a high volume of shots off, and even winning his aerial duels, standing at 6 foot 1.

With Kylian Mbappe labelling his France teammate Kolo Muani as a “very complete” forward, stating he is a striker who offers “different game options” to the team, the 26-year-old could be a great signing for the Red Devils, to add a more direct threat to their front line.

He's like Haaland: Man Utd could sign "monster" Rashford & Zirkzee upgrade

Manchester United desperately need reinforcements within the final third in January.

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By
Ethan Lamb

Jan 1, 2025

Tottenham have been linked with a move to appoint Oliver Glasner amid the club's terrible season under Ange Postecoglou.

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• Spurs languishing in bottom half
• Europa League offers hope to save season
• Scoping out potential managerial appointments

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Per SportBild, Spurs are rivalling RB Leipzig when it comes to interest in appointing Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner. The Bundesliga giants are said to have him on their own shortlist to replace the sacked Marco Rose. But now Spurs have been presented as an alternative option for the Eagles manager.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Glasner is not said to be keen on a return to Germany, having previously worked for Wolfsburg and Eintracht Frankfurt, and Spurs could offer a significantly higher salary than the Bundesliga side. The north London side face Eintracht Frankfurt in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday but they languish in 14th in the Premier League table, and have lost 16 of their 31 fixtures.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Glasner shot to prominence during his time at Frankfurt, as he guided the club to Europa League glory in 2021/22. His Palace side are 11th, six points clear of Spurs. The report states the north London club are not the only suitor to have made contact with the Austrian's camp.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Tottenham will be desperate to kick off their Europa League quarter-final tie with a victory against Frankfurt on Thursday. Palace are next in action against Manchester City this weekend.

After his weakened Sheffield United team lost 1-0 to Cardiff City in the FA Cup, it’s clear that Chris Wilder’s main priorities as Blades manager lie in winning promotion out of the Championship.

The South Yorkshire side won’t want to overstay their welcome in the second tier, with the recently relegated outfit masters at jumping up to the Premier League when looking at their not-so-distant past, having successfully climbed up to the promised land at the close of both the 2018/19 season and the 2022/23 campaign.

Wilder will hope that there’s a third time on the horizon very soon, with a new striker on his mind now this January to propel his team into the automatic promotion reckoning.

Sheffield United enter race for top EFL striker

As per football journalist Alan Nixon, the automatic promotion candidates have now entered the frantic race to try and pick up Tom Cannon, with there being a reported break clause in his current Stoke City loan deal.

With Mark Robins’ men also recalling striker Nathan Lowe from his own loan stint at Walsall, it could be that the Potters will have to give up the potent 22-year-old at some point this window, as the likes of Sunderland also sniff around alongside the Blades.

What Tom Cannon could offer Sheffield United

The ex-Preston North End man being linked with a switch to Bramall Lane could mean that Wilder’s men are considering alternatives to Ben Brereton-Diaz. The Chile international has been linked with a move back to his former employers but Cannon would arguably be an upgrade on the misfiring forward.

Indeed, signing Cannon at the expense of the Black Cats could also give the Blades that cutting edge in any promotion race to follow, with his potential United teammates licking their lips at the prospect of linking up with such a clinical marksman.

After all, you don’t fluke the sort of goalscoring form Cannon is in for Stoke at the moment, with the Republic of Ireland international up to 11 strikes now in all competitions, which included this dramatic late winner at the very end of December.

On the contrary, whilst the 22-year-old has been setting the second tier alight, Brereton-Diaz has been seriously low on confidence playing in the league above with Southampton, having made just four starts for his lowly employers in the Premier League.

He hasn’t even broken his Saints duck, with the bumper £7m splashed out by the South Coast side last year looking to be a big waste of money now.

There’s no guarantee that Brereton-Diaz will be able to kick back into gear again when making the drop down a level too, even if he has previously notched up a hefty 53 goals at the level.

Whereas, in Cannon, you have an attacker who is the flavour of the month and is continuing to play at the peak of his powers, having been labelled as an “insane” finisher by journalist Pete Smith earlier in the campaign when amazingly firing home four goals in one clash for the Potters.

He could well take his game to another level at the Blades by playing alongside Callum O’Hare, who has seamlessly fit into his new environment this season in Sheffield as a creative menace after waving goodbye to Coventry City.

In total, the enigmatic attacking midfielder has tallied up 16 goals and 28 assists playing in the second tier to date, with Cannon’s numbers in front of goals perhaps bumped up playing alongside exceptional talents like O’Hare week in, week out.

Whilst the Blades do already have Kieffer Moore and Tyrese Campbell up top to call upon, Cannon would be able to give the promotion hopefuls something fresh and exciting and could well prove to be the difference maker that fires them back up to the top flight.

Sheffield United could land their next McAtee in "wonderful" PL gem

Chris Wilder is looking at adding this exciting loanee to his Sheffield United squad.

By
Kelan Sarson

Jan 12, 2025

Very rarely do teams have a chance to stop Los Blancos in Europe, and doing so would change narrative around Mikel Arteta's side

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Manchester United. Manchester City. Chelsea. Liverpool. Tottenham Hotspur. West Ham United. Nottingham Forest. Aston Villa. Ipswich Town. What do these teams have in common?

The answer is they have all won European trophies which are still active. As you likey noticed, Arsenal – the third-most successful English club of all time by honours – are not named. The Gunners' failure to turn decades of domestic dominance into continental glory is a mystery to this day. It's not even as if they can blame it on a curse a la Benfica post-1962 European Cup triumph.

The north Londoners have won two defunct European tournaments: the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, which was not run by UEFA until it was replaced with the UEFA Cup in 1971, and the Cup Winners' Cup, which was absorbed by the UEFA Cup (all hail the UEFA Cup, by the way). So it's not as if they're complete nobodies away from the British Isles, at least, even if their haul is slim compared to their rivals.

A new age is dawning in N5, however. Arsenal are on the verge of changing their European footprint for the better, penning a new legacy for a generation of hopefuls, dreamers and optimists. It all starts with Real Madrid.

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  European failures

  When Arsenal progressed to the quarter-finals of the 2009-10 Champions League, it seemed unthinkable they would have to wait another 14 years to reach that same stage again. Arsene Wenger's Gunners went on run of successive last-16 eliminations. It was, as it turned out, a neat summarisation of Arsenal's place in the European pecking order. They would dish out punishment to weaker sides, but were ultimately at the mercy of the other big boys.

  At some point, if you're going to be taken seriously in Europe, you simply must show you can better a superior team over two games. Sure, Arsenal had the odd win against Barcelona and Bayern Munich here and there, but that was mainly born out of volume, they weren't actually the stronger side over 180 minutes.

  Under Wenger, Arsenal became stuck in the same cycle every season. Have a slow summer to the anger of fans, results pick up over the autumn, there's a slip in the winter and then a springtime boost before scraping a top-four spot down the final stretch. Flaming out before the Champions League quarter-finals was as constant as any other checkpoint in the sequence, and it gave the Gunners a very unserious impression to the rest of the European Cup constants – they were there merely to take part.

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  Even Europa League glory was beyond reach

  When Wenger's grip on the top-four loosened, it began a ran of six successive seasons either in the Europa League or not in European competition at all. In their first jaunt back in the continent's second-tier tournament, they pushed eventual winners Atletico Madrid to the brink in the semi-finals, losing 2-1 on aggregate – the Gunners notably failed to make their one-man advantage count in the home leg after Sime Vrsaljko's red card, drawing 1-1 before a 1-0 defeat at the Estadio Metropolitano.

  Bringing in Unai Emery, a noted Europa League specialist with three of his four career wins already under his belt at this point, only changed Arsenal's fortunes slightly. They went one step further and reached the final, but fell to London rivals Chelsea in a 4-1 thumping. Having also thrown away points needlessly down the stretch of the 2018-19 Premier League season, Arsenal were kept out of the Champions League for another year.

  And then they truly entered the European wilderness. Mikel Arteta's arrival was soon followed by a shock last-32 Europa League exit to Olympiacos in added time at the end of the second leg's extra time. An eighth-place league finish was rescued by victory in the FA Cup, with Chelsea this time thwarted at Wembley, yet Arsenal were dealt a fatal blow by a vengeful Emery in the 2020-21 Europa League, as his Villarreal side dumped them out in the semis before beating Manchester United in the final.

  Arsenal's 2021-22 campaign was their first without a European adventure since 1996, owing to finishing eighth again. They instead spent the year battling arch enemies Tottenham for the Premier League's final Champions League spot, with another inexplicable collapse in the final weeks of the season costing them that place. Another year in the Europa League beckoned, another relatively early exit, this time to Ruben Amorim's Sporting CP in the last-16, but at least they were able to punch their ticket back to the bright lights of the Champions League after finishing second. The years traversing the black-and-orange highways and byways of the Europa League were over.

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  Lessons learnt against Bayern

  Arsenal's return to the top table began swimmingly. Even despite a 2-0 loss at Lens, they breezed through the old-format group stage with a game to spare. Porto, who just so happened to be the team Wenger's Gunners defeated in the 2010 knockouts, were drawn in the last 16, and this time it went the distance. The Gunners battled hard for over 180 minutes against Sergio Conceicao's dogged Dragons before prevailing on spot kicks in front of a home Emirates Stadium crowd. For the first time in a long time, they could boast being among Europe's top eight teams.

  Bayern awaited in the quarters, and plenty of Arsenal fans had revenge on their minds for the previous maulings inflicted upon them. There was a confidence about them too, given their differing domestic fortunes, with Thomas Tuchel's side surrendering the Bundesliga title to Bayer Leverkusen and Arteta's men going stride for stride with Manchester City in the Premier League.

  Once again, European pedigree proved the key differential. The German giants still played their own game, but a nervous Arsenal tightened, even after taking the lead early on in the first leg on home soil which ended 2-2. At the Allianz Arena, the visitors barely laid a glove on their hosts, who had Joshua Kimmich to thank for scoring the night's only goal.

  A young manager in Arteta with a young team hanging on his word were still accumulating the scars necessary for education purposes. Arsenal played within themselves for the majority of the tie, rather than rising to the challenge. Their meticulous match-planning led them to playing the game rather than the occasion, but on those pressurised Champions League nights with the world watching on, it has to be the opposite.

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  Cutting off Madrid's head

  Through 90 minutes of this year's quarter-final with Real Madrid, Arsenal have played with the emboldened attitude required. Arteta's rallying cry for the Emirates to create a cauldron of noise largely out of keeping with the ground's history worked, and the occasion of the first leg felt much more significant than the the year prior against Bayern.

  It was therefore fitting that two of their goals in the 3-0 triumph were an expression of self-confidence, as well as perhaps a rejection of the micro-managing that had become the team's set-piece obsession, with Declan Rice thundering in two of the best free-kicks the game has ever seen anywhere 12 minutes apart. Makeshift striker Mikel Merino added the gloss with a brilliantly-taken goal soon after.

  Arsenal will head to Santiago Bernabeu with a three-goal cushion, an almost unfathomable advantage to comprehend in the modern Champions League, let alone when you factor in their many European shortcomings that have lingered throughout their history and become the first stamp on the club's passport abroad. Since winning their famed 'La Decima' in 2014, Madrid have consistently found ways to win by any means necessary when the chips are down. Where Arsenal's European DNA has been constructed with shortfalls, Madrid's has mutated out of control with mythos and legend.

  Arteta told the Spanish press that after the first leg he called Pep Guardiola to ask about facing Madrid, and the Catalan coach would have likely told him the tie's not over until that last whistle. Los Blancos are football's answer to Michael Myers, the team that flat out refuses to die. Guardiola's City were heavy favourites heading into their 2021-22 semi-final, and led by two goals going into stoppage time of the second leg. They somehow lost. One year on, the retooled Cityzens advanced from the same stage 5-1 on aggregate, metaphorically beating Madrid to a bloody pulp. That's the sort of ruthlessness you need to kill them on this stage.

After London rivals Crystal Palace brought them back down to earth to inflict the second defeat in three games for new manager Graham Potter, West Ham United have reportedly turned their attention towards handing him his first signing.

West Ham transfer news

On paper, West Ham looked like a side ready to step things up in a new era in the summer. They enjoyed a fairly successful transfer window, welcoming impressive coups such as Jean-Clair Todibo and Niclas Fullkrug whilst appointing Julen Lopetegui as David Moyes’ replacement. But that’s where things went wrong.

West Ham readying offer to 169-goal striker after Graham Potter request

The Hammers boss is scouring for a new number nine.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jan 17, 2025

From the off, the Spaniard never quite seemed like the right appointment, and as disappointing results began to arrive, it even started to look like a move full of unambition from those at the London Stadium. So in truth, his dismissal always seemed inevitable, with the responsibility now sent the way of Potter to turn things around.

Doing that is easier said than done, and there’s no doubt that the Hammers should once again return to the transfer market and hand their new manager some reinforcements of his own, which could include an England international.

According to TalkSport, West Ham are now lining up a move to sign Angel Gomes in what could quickly be among the bargains of the summer if the Hammers swoop in to secure his signature as a free agent at the end of the season ahead of a number of interested parties in England.

The Lille star has some unfinished business in the Premier League after leaving Manchester United and discovering his best form in France. Now, he could get the chance to come back and haunt his former club.

"Impressive" Gomes has earned Premier League return

After returning to the radar of many English clubs courtesy of a shock call-up to the England squad last year, Gomes has now done more than enough to deserve a shot at Premier League redemption – and West Ham could be an ideal destination. Next to the more physical Tomas Soucek, Gomes’ technical prowess could thrive at the London Stadium.

Dubbed “impressive” by analyst Ben Mattinson, the midfielder is still just 24 years old and on the verge of the peak of his powers, making this summer’s bargain opportunity one that West Ham simply cannot miss out on.

When the summer arrives and Potter truly gets the chance to mark his own stamp on the current West Ham side, he should turn towards the former Manchester United man as one of his first signings.